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Anna Kepner, a Florida teenager who tragically lost her life on a Carnival cruise, has had her cause of death identified, according to recent reports.
Kepner, who was on a Caribbean trip aboard the Carnival Horizon with her family, was discovered deceased earlier this month. ABC News revealed on Friday that her death was attributed to asphyxiation caused by a bar hold, a maneuver involving pressure applied across the neck. Investigators noted the presence of two bruises on her neck. However, the Miami-Dade County medical examiner has yet to publicly confirm the official cause of death.
Initial investigations have not pointed to any evidence of sexual assault, nor were drugs or alcohol detected in Kepner’s system, ABC News further detailed. While the preliminary findings have been shared, the complete autopsy and toxicology reports remain pending.
The 18-year-old, who was a high school cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, was found in her stateroom on the Carnival Horizon. Sources from law enforcement disclosed to CBS News that a housekeeper discovered her body under the bed as the ship made its way back to Port Miami on Saturday, November 8.
The 18-year-old high school cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, was found dead while aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Kepner’s body was found by a housekeeper under the bed in her stateroom on the ship, which returned to Port Miami on Saturday, Nov. 8.
News of Kepner’s cause of death comes days after an unrelated family court case filing suggested a minor may face criminal charges in the 18-year-old’s death.
The disclosure, obtained earlier this week by ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and other media outlets, appears in an emergency motion submitted in a divorce case involving Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson.
In the motion, which requested a delay in a custody hearing, Hudson’s attorneys wrote that she has been told by FBI investigators that “a criminal case may be initiated” against one of her minor children related to Kepner’s death, multiple media outlets report.
Kepner was reportedly on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship’s Caribbean voyage with her father, stepmother and stepsiblings when she went missing.
As of Friday, no one has been charged in the case, and there have been no arrests linked to the teen’s death. Few official details about her death have been released publicly.
Following news of her death, Carnival released a statement that said it was working with the FBI Miami office to investigate the incident and that, “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI,” the company said in a statement.
Her family previously told ABC News that they wanted her to be remembered for her generosity and spirit. Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, also shared tributes to Kepner on its Facebook page.